Bottle cap remover for automatic vending machines



J- R. PRATT Dec. 28, 1954 BOTTLE CAP REMOVER FOR AUTOMATIC VENDING MACHINES Filed July 16, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l uvmvrox dames 1Q Pm/f J. R. PRATT Dec. 28, 1954 BOTTLE CAP REMOVER FOR AUTOMATIC VENDING MACHINES Filed July 16. 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. James pra/f @441 ATTORNE).

BO'ITLE CAP REMOVER FOR AUTOMATIC VENDING MACHINES James R. Pratt, Independence, Mo., assignor to The Vendo' Company, Kansas City, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application July 16, 1951, Serial No. 236,918 Claims. (01. 81--3.3)

This invention relates to vending machines of the 2,697,955 Patented Dec. 28, 1954 remover immediately following dislodgement of the cap irom the bottle and before the bottle slides away thererom.

It is unnecessary to a full understanding of the cap remover hereof, to outline the operation of such vending machine in its entirety and reference may be had to kind adapted upon insertion of a coin or coins, to remove the cap from bottled goods and thereupon pour the beverage or other liquid content thereof into a cup made accessible to the purchaser, all automatically and without the necessity of manual actuation on the part of such purchaser.

It is the most important object of the present invention I to improve upon the decapper mechanism forming the subject matter of U. S. Letters Patent No. 2,333,118 of November 2, 1943, in the name of O. C. Olsen, and Patent No. 2,438,055, of March 16, 1948, in the name of George H. Hansen, Jr., both owned by the assignee hereof.

It is common knowledge that removal of conventional metallic caps from beverage bottles through use of any the above identified patents for an outline of essential details of operation. Figure 1 of the drawings illustrates in section a cabinet broadly designated by the numeral 10, and including a frame 12 therewithin reciprocable vertically within spaced-apart tracks, one of vlvgiich is shown in Fig. 1 and designated by the numeral A bottle 16 provided with a conventional metallic crown cap 18, is delivered to a cradle 20 that is in turn pivotally secured to the frame 12 as at 22. An extension 24 on the cradle 20 is provided with a roller 26 that moves along a serpentine groove 28 formed in an elongated bar 30 as the frame 12 reciprocates within the tracks 14. As frame 12, cradle 20 and the contained bottle 16 commence upward movement, the bottle 16 automatically swings from the full-line position of Fig. 1 against the clamp 32 as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, to hold the bottle tightly within the cradle 20. Such movement tips bottle 16 from position A to position B and when the bottle 16 is in the position indicated by the letter B, cap 18 is automatically removed type of opening device, requires a manipulation of the bottle if the cap remover is rigidly mounted. Even in the aforesaid patents, though the crown remover is shown as movably mounted, a certain degree of manipulation other than the line of travel of the bottle was necessary.

Accordingly, it is the most important object of the present invention to provide a crown cap remover that comprises a pair of sections both of which may swing during the removing operations, whereby the bottle itself may travel through a rectilinear path and need not be separately manipulated during the removing operation.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a crown remover that includes a pair of pivotally interconnected sections, one of which has cap-engaging parts thereon and being separately swingable relative to the other section during the initial removing steps and even after the other section commences to swing in response to the bottle remover Other objects include the way in which the crown puller is formed to automatically return to a stand-by condition after each crown removal; the way in which the same is formed to remain out of contact with the bottle itself throughout the pulling operation; the way in which the puller engages the cap so as to avoid any possibility of bottle breakage; the manner of articulation that permits the bottle to slide free from the removed cap without danger of breakage; and the manner of formation to positively lock the cap with the puller whereby, after the bottle slides. free thereof, the cap is snapped into a waste receptacle therefor.

Otherobjects include many important details of construction, all of which will be made clear as the following specification progresses, reference being had to the draw ings, wherein:

Figure -l is a vertical, cross-sectional view through I a vendingmachineshowing in-elevat1on a bottlecap remover made pursuant to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, top plan view of the bottle cap remover and its mounting bracket.

Fig. 3 is a stretched-out perspective view of the two sections of the cap remover.

Fig. 4 is an elevational view of the cap remover of Fig. 1 illustrating the same in its initial stand-by position, the aforesaid bracket being in section.

Fig. 5 is an elevational view similar to Fig. 4 showing the position of the remover after the bottle cap becomes locked therewith, parts being broken away and in section for clearness; and

Fig.6 is an elevational view similar to Figs. 4 and 5 partially in section illustrating the position of the therefrom by a cap remover broadly designated by the numeral 34 and forming the subject matter of the present invention. After the cap 18 has been removed, bottle 16 is tipped in the opposite direction by the action of roller 26 riding in groove 28 to position C, where the contents are poured into a cup 36. Bottle 16 thereupon assumes the substantially horizontal position D, and is discharged into a compartment 38 prior to downward movement of the empty cradle 20 to a stand-by position between positions A and B and not illustrated.

It is noted that the cap remover 34 is normally in the position illustrated by Figs. 1 and 4 and is easily cleared, when in such position, by the cradle 20, as the latter moves downwardly.

As shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the cap remover is mounted on bight 40 of a U-shaped bracket 42 that in turn has its two legs rigidly secured within the cabinet 10. Bight 40 is provided with a notch 44 and a pair of perforated out-turned ears 46.

The cap remover consists of a pair of sections 48 and 50, the latter being pivotally secured to the bracket 42 by horizontal hinge pin 52, and the section 48 being pivotally secured to the section 50 by a horizontal pivot pin 54 that is below and to one side of the pin 52, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, when the decapper is in a standby condition.

Section 50 is substantially U-shaped having a bight 56 and a pair of legs 58 provided with perforated extensions 60 at the uppermost ends thereof for receiving the hinge pin 52 that also passes through the perforations of cars 46. The extensions 60 accordingly are disposed between the cars 46 and the notch 44, bight 40 of bracket 42 serving an an abutment below notch 44 for the bight 56 of section 50.

Each leg 58 of section 50 is additionally provided with a down-turned, perforated extension 62 that receives hinge .positely to'bight 56 and serves as a stop for the section 48 as will hereinafter appear.

The section 48 is substantially U-shaped having a bight portion 68, an inclined leg 70 upon the lowermost end whereof barrel 64 is formed, and a bifurcated leg 72 formed to present a hook that includes an elongated, transverse ridge 74 that engages the lowermost edge of the cap 18 when the remover is placed in use. A bottle clearance notch 76 is formed in the hooked leg 72 of the section 48. Bight 68 of the section 48 normally rests upon the projection 66 of the section 50 and has an L- shaped, caprengaging portion 78 struck therefrom and extending downwardly between the legs 70 and 72. Suitable serrations 80 are formed in the portion 78 for engagement a with the flat top surface of the cap 18. A small projection 82 on the innermost surface of the inclined leg 70 receives one end of a spring 84 for yieldably holding the sections 48and 50 inthe positionsshownby. Figs. l,and.4, the opposite end of the spring 84 beingrigidly. secured within the cabinet 10.

. Asthe bottle 16 moves upwardly toward, position (Fig. 1),. its inclination will. be defined by roller 26 traveling within vertical stretch86 of groove28. 'The neck of bottle 16 adjacent the cap 18 will move into the notch 76 of section 48 and theuppermost face of cap 18 will engage serrations 80. Continued upward movement of the bottle 16 along such rectilinear path, while the same maintains the angularity shown by position"B, causes the section '48 to swing on hinge pin 54 relative to'section 50 until the lowermost edge of the cap 18 is engaged by the ridge 74. At this pointthe cap 18 is positively locked within the section-'48.

It is-seen in Fig. 5 of the drawings, that when the cap 18 first becomes locked withrespect to the section 48, i. c. When cap 18, engages both serrations 80 and ridge 7.4, the only. movement of the assembly is that of section 48 on hinge .pin 54. Continued straight upward movement of the bottle 16 while in the inclined position shown at .B, thereupon imparts swinging movement of the section 50 on hinge pin 52. Whilesthe' section: 48 continues to swingslightly toward the bight 56 on hinge pin 54, its rate of movement relative tothe section 50, decreases. appreciably as soon as section '50starts to. swing on hinge pin 52.

By the time the two sections 48 and 50 moveto the position shown by Fig. 6 of the drawings, the cap 18 will have been pried loose from thev bottle 16 and the latter cleared for continued upward movement toward position (1" Cap '18wi1l be retained by the section 48 until the upper most edge or lip of the bottle v16' slides upwardly away from the cap 18, it being noted that at no time does the bottle 16 come into engagement with any part of the cap remover.

As soon as bottle 16 slides away from the cap 18, spring 84 will operate to snap the sections 48 and 50 to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 4 until the section 48 engages the stop. projection 66; and the bight 56 of section engages the abutment defined by bight'40 of bracket 42. Such snap action on the part of the remover throws or projects the cap to an underlying receptacletherefor, not shown. After the bottle has cleared the decapper, .roller 26 will move into another section of the groove 28 directly above the section 86 and commence tipping to position C.

It is now clear that through the provision of a pair of articulated sections capable ofxbuckling' during thev cap removing operation, it is possible .to direct the bottle 16 through. a rectilinear path of .travel'and that the bottle 16 need not be manipulatedin order to elfectively pry the cap 18 loose.

This construction avoids any possibilityoffailure due to misalignment or inaccuracies in synchronization which are common in machines of this type after long periods of use. In operation, the bottle 16 need not be held to any precise and accurate path of travel for the decapper hereof will operate even after wear tends to loosen the connections between cradle 20 and frame 12 and even after the groove 28 and/ or the roller 26 becomes slightly worn.

'Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters' Patent is:

1. A device for removing crown caps from bottles comprising a bracket having an abutment; a link mounted on the-bracket for'swinging movement toward and away from said abutment; a stop on the link; and a cap-engaging hook secured tothe link for swinging movement relative tothe link whereby as a capped bottle is moved in one direction-while the cap" thereof is engaged-by said hook the latter will swing away from said stop and thereupo'nswingthe link away from said abutment.

L A device for removing crown caps from bottles comprising a bracket having an abutment; a link mounted on the bracket for swinging: movement toward and away from said abutment; a stop on the link; a cap-engaging hook secured to the link for swinging movement relative to the link whereby as a cappedbottle is moved in one direction while the cap thereof'is engaged by said hook the latter willswingawayafrom said 'stop' and thereupon swing the link away=from=said abutment; and means coupled with said hook for yieldably holding the same biased against saidtstop 'andtthe link biased against the abutment.

3.-ln a. device forremovingcrown .caps from a bottle,

, a bracket; link structure including a pair of spaced, clongated legs'andv abar-:rigidly:interconnectingtthe legs intermediate the ends thereof; means.at .one end of said legs pivotally mounting the legs'to the' bracket for swinging movement of said structure relative to the bracket; a substantially U-shaped plate havinga bight and a pair. of arms; and a cap-engaging hook-on one' of said arms; means pivotally mounting the other of said-arms to the legs 'at the opposite ends-thereof and therebetween whereby,- as a capped bottle is moved" inone directionwhile the cap'thereof'is engaged'by said'ho'okgthelatter and saidplate will 'swing'relative to said link structure and thereupon swing the latter relative to said bracket.

4. A devicefor removing crown caps'trombottles-comprising a bracket;link-structure including a pair of spaced, elongated legs and abar rigidly interconnectingthe legs intermediatethe'ends thereof; means at one end of said legs pivotally mounting the legs to the bracket for swinging movement of said structurerelative to the bracket; a substantially U-shaped plate having a bight and a pair of arms; a cap-engaging hook-on one of said arms; means pivotally mounting the other of said arms .to'the. legs at the opposite ends thereof and therebetween'whereby, as a capped bottle is moved'in *one direction while the cap therof is engagd'by said hook, the latter and said plate willswing relative to said link structure and thereupon swing'the latter relative to said-bracket; and means coupledwvith said plate for yieldably-holding the plate and the link structure againstmovement in said-one direction.

' 5. A device for removing crowncaps frombottles comprising a bracket-having an abutment; link structure including a pair of spaced; elongated-legs and a bar rigidly interconnecting the legs intermediate the ends thereof; means atone endof said legs pivotally-mounting the legs tothe bracket for swinging movement of the bar toward and away from said abutment; a'stop on one of said legs; a substantially u-shaped plate having a bight and a pair of'arms; cap-engaging means-on one of 'saidarms and on said bight for prying the cap' from the-bottle; means pivotally mounting the other'of' said-arms to the legs at the opposite endsthereof and therebetween-whereby, as a cappedbottle is moved in one' direction while the cap thereof is engaged by said cap-engaging means, the plate willswing away from said stop and'thereuponswing said link structure away from saidabutment; and means coupled with the plate for yieldably holding the same biased against sa'idstop -arid the' structure biased against said abutment.

References Cited in the file of thispatent UNITED STATES. PATENTS Number Name Date 1,204,305 Nagy Nov. 7,1916 1,293,361 Davis Feb. 4, 1919 2,333,118 Olsen 'Nov. 2," 1943 1 2,386,152 :Wahl Oct; 2, 1945 1 2,388,125 'Denison Oct; 30, 1945 2,438,050 Hansen, Jr Mar. 16, 1948 2,576,800 Menderman 'Nov. 27, 1951 2,624,219 Dreier Jan. 6, 1953 

